Vehicle-wheel.



F. F. DORSEY.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.29,-1908.

Patented July 9, 1912.

treuren strarn ra rAnNUr/t r. Doneer, or NEW YORK, N. Y., AssIGNoiafro .ar/ros wonnen-or DAVENPORT, town.

VEHICLE-VIHEEL.

` Losetas.

rarest-casale reis.

Application filed February 29, 1908. Serial No. 418,462.

To all whom t mag/concern:

Be it known that l, FARNUM F. DoRsEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in. the county of New York andl usually designated as demountable rims,

and are usedto permit the convenient replacement of pneumatic tires injured upon the road. i

The object of the present invention is to produce a vehicle wheel provided with a demountable rim in which the construction is simple, inexpensive, and light in weight, while the means for detachably 'securing the rimto the felly are so simplified and improved as to permit the rim to be removed or replaced with minimum inconvenience and expenditure of time, while acting to lock the rim securelyin place when in use.

ln the drawings Figure 1 is a. side elevation of the upper portion of a rim. and felly embodying the present invention, showing the fastening screw. Fig. 2 is a plan view 'of a portion'of the rim, showing the manner in which the interlocking projections are engaged. Figs. 3 and e are transverse sections of the rim and folly taken at different points. Fig. 5 isa side elevation of the lower portion of the demountable rim, and the felly, .showing the `casing for the tirevalve stem.

rlhe illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a tire rim l removably mounted on a fixed .rim 2 which is perinancntly secured, in any convenient manner, to the wooden felly 3 of the wheel. The felly 8 is mounted, in the usual manner, on the spokes and hub of t-he wheel The tire rim 1 is of the ordinary clencher type, and is rolled-from ,sheet metal in the usual manner. The iixed rim is also formed of sheet metal, and at oneI side it is provided with an annular outwardly-projecting flange il,

which-engages the inner surface of the tirerim, so that vthere is a substantial space be tween the two rims. On the. side opposite to the flange a the tire-rim is provided with an annular inwardlysprojecting 'flange 5, formed by rolling a channel in the sheet metal of the rim. This flange engages the outer surface of the fixed rim.

The means for detachably `locking the tireri'm in place on the fixed rim comprise interlocking projections and recesses on these members, located in the space between the flanges e and so as to be inclosedand concealed thereby. The fixed rim is provided with outward radial projections 6, formed bypressing portions of the sheet metal outward, and these projections are 'located at convenient intervals about the periphery of the fixed rim, the number being variable according to the conditions of service. These projections 6 are adapted to enter recesses between the llange 5 and cooperating project1ons 9 on the tire rim, the 'projections 9 being formed in the same way as the pro` jections 6 and being correspondingly spaced. This arrangement 1s such that the projections G may be engaged with or disengaged from .the projections 9 by a rotative.

move-mentof the tire-rim on the fixed rim, and when so disengaged the tire rim may be removed` from the fixed rim. by a lateral movement.

lVhen the projections are in engagement they prohibit lateral inoven'ient of the tirerim on the fixed rim. In order that there may be no looseness between the projections which would permit rattling or wear of the parts, the projections are formed to have a wedging action both laterally and radially, so that both lateral and radial movement of the tire-rim are entirely prevented. To this end Athe lateral surfaces 7 and 8 of the projections 6 are inclined, and the corresponding surfaces of the flange 5 and the projections 9 are correspondingly inclined, while the surfaces S and the inner surfaces of the projections 9 are also inclined longitudinally. p

Although the flanges have a slight clearance from the opposite surfaces of the members to permit the easy removal and replacelnient of the tire-rim, they are substantially these surfaces, so that alis normally supported by of the rim, when the wheel is in use, does not depend on the latter, but a slight yielding of the rim under the weight of the Ve- `hicle causes it to engageand be supported port the base of the tire, the depressions fixed rim, the screw being fixed against lontherein may be filled with any suitable filling 10, such as rubber composition or leather.

To drawv the interlocking projections firmly into, 'and maintain them in, engagement with each other, means are provided for causing a rotative movement of the tirerim on the fixed rim, these means comprising a screw 11 engaging lugs on the rims. The screw has a threaded portion 12, a head 13 and aflange 14. lThe threaded portion engages a threaded hole in a lug 15 fixed to the tire-rim, while the shank of the screw passes through a hole in a lug 19 fixed to the gitudinal'movement therein by the engagement of the head and the flange with opposite sides of the lug 19. The flange may be made of a separate metal washer oncollar inserted in the lug 19.

fixed to the screw afterthe latter has been The head of the screw is laterally perforated so that the screw may be turned by a suitable tool.

The felly andthe fixed rim 2 are provided with an opening 16 to receive the tire-valve stem inthe usual manner, this opening ben ing suficiently elongated to ermit the rotative movement of the tire-rim on the fixed rim. To cover this opening and protect the valve stem acasing 17 is fixed to the felly and provided with a cover 18 which may be opened to afford access to thevalve.

To apply the tire-rim to the wheel ,with an inflated pneumatic tire in place on the rim, the lower portion of the rim is rst engaged with the fixed rim, the valve stem be ing inserted in the opening 16, and the upper portion of the rim is then swung laterally into position, the relative positions of the parts at this time being such that each pro- 'jection' 9 -is somewhat to the right, and

clear of, the corresponding projection G. The rim is then Yturned by hand to the left until the screw 11 engages the lug 15, and the rim is turned into final locked position by theuse of the screw. To remove the rim the screw is turned in the opposite direction, and thus any sticking resulting from rust or the lwed'ging action of the parts may be easily overcome.

l The projections on the rims are accurately spaced, so that they may all engage and wedge at once, but any slight inaccuracy is compensated for by the elasticity of the tire one pair of projections engages before the others they may yield slightly to facilitate the firm engagement of the other projections. The applicant is aware that rims for pneumatic tires have beenused in which I one or both of the lateral fire-retaining flanges is removable to facilitate the removal and replacement of the tire, but the present invention is essentially different from such devices since its use does not involve the 7 removal of the tire from, or its placement in,

the rim, or the defiation andl inflation of the tire.

Various modifications may be made in the construction and operation of the illustrated embodiment -of my invention within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim 1. A wheel having, in combination, a tirerim adapted to support an inflated pneumatic tire, a fixed rim, disengageable connections for locking the tire-rim tol the fixed rimA comprising interlocking projections on the rims and engageableby relative rotation ofthe rims, and unitary means normally connecting the rimsand constructed and operating to rotate the tire-rim to either locked or unlocked position and to retain it in locked position. i

2. A wheel hav-ing, in combination, a fixed rim and a tire rim, an annular flange near one side of thetire'rim beveled on its inner surface, a plurality of spaced projections on the inner surface of the tire rim having surfaces inclined toward said flange, and a pluralit-y of, tapered projections on the fixed rim formed to engage and wedge between the flange and projections on the tire rim when the latter is rotated upon the fixed rim.

3. A wheel having, in combination, a fixed rim and a demountable tire rim, a vertical flange on the outside edge of one of the' rims, a wedge on the-rim with said flange, the

vwedge being inclined from the flange toward the opposite side ofthe wheel, and a wedge on the other Vrim formed and adapted to be moved into engagementwith the first-named wedge between the flange and the first named wedge by a relative rotative movement of the two rims.

In testimony whereof, l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FARNU M F. DORSEY.

Witnesses G. f1tvf-Ne ifiisnnnno'rni,

GRACE CAnss. 

